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Reconstruction of Samarkand and Its Building Boom

Type Event Region Central Asia Time 1391–1400

In the 1390s, Timur drove his capital Samarkand to a peak of construction; under his direct impetus, construction of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque began in …

Timeline

  1. 1391–1395Samarkand · UzbekistanTimur continuously conscripted architects, stonemasons, and painters from conquered lands to Samarkand, systematically expanding the city. New city walls, palace districts, and market layouts reflected Timur's will to make the capital a symbol of imperial glory.
  2. 1396–1398Gur-e-Amir · UzbekistanThe Gur-e-Amir mausoleum continued to be expanded after the death of his grandson Muhammad Sultan; its blue-glazed tilework and double-shell dome structure became exemplary of Timurid architecture, and also served as preparation for Timur's own eventual burial site.
  3. 1399–1400Bibi-Khanym Mosque · UzbekistanIn 1399, Timur ordered the construction of the Bibi-Khanym Mosque in memory of his wife Saray Mulk Khanum; its enormous arch and courtyard surpassed any known Islamic architecture of the time, marking Samarkand's construction entering its grandest phase.

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